Ufomammut – 8

Ufomammut is one unique blend of doomy astral interstellar energy that transcends time space and gravity, being as close a band comes to a black hole in a milky way. Ufomammut has refined their expression, during the last 15+ years, releasing one album after the other, getting better and better, heavier, meaner, more psych out and experimenting, every release they put on the street. From long drones, to spot on doom-stoner-sludge massiveness.

Ufomammut has refined their expression, during the last 15+ years, releasing one album after the other, getting better and better, heavier, meaner, far out psych out and experimenting, every release they put on the street. From long drones, to spot on sludge massiveness. If you could crown anyone to be the emperors of doom-psych, it should be Urlo, Poia and Vita.

I can’t imagine anyone else for that crown. Ufomammut has really done it again with “8“. When you think the bass can’t get more fuzzy it does, when you think the spacey guitar solos can’t get more far out, there you have it. The previous album Ecate was one sick mouthful of evil stoner/doom filled to the brim with mythical chants and screams from the depth of the abyss, spiced with loads of sci fi references. And “8” is more, down that alley, but it’s way more aggressive and literally tears apart any former construct of Ufomammut.

One thing Ufomammut really does differently than similar stoner/doom bands is the use of keys blending in everywhere as a primary element. Just as much as the fuzzy bass and guitar. I couldn’t imagine Ufomammut without this element. It’s such an integral part of their sound and lifts everything above the vast heaviness of the shredding chords. Also the spacey ambient droning parts is a key element of Ufomammut and when all these aspects of their sound is present, you have a killer Ufomammut album.

A Rise from the dark earth

“8” rises from the blackened ground with the opus Babel, referring to the biblical myth of babylon. You can almost feel and see an eclipse turning everything black. For once the opening bass line is not as fuzzy as we’re used to, but carries a bad ass heavy riff while guitar inferno fills the top. It’s exactly this bass riff, that is quite the core of Babel, an evil heavy dirty riff, that grooves, while spaced out effects and fuzzy guitars play around. You can hear the split of tongues and the mumbling recitations lying underneath, until the repetetive chants of Urlo takes over. A perfect start for the album

Warsheep, Worship? 🙂 continues on the same road as Babel, with super cool bass riffs, topped with far out guitars, synths, and again the repetive chants of Urlo. Warsheep has a bit more drive to it, than Babel, but both songs are actually a bit more up tempo than many previous releases from Ufomammut. And another detail is, that the production is way more hi fi, than on other ufommamut albums. It really sounds awesome, and one specific thing is that the drums are way more in front, than on any earlier Ufomammut release. I really enjoy that.

8 gives you no time to breathe, recreate or relax before next brutal wall of fuzz hits you hard in the stomach. Fatum just continues the beating from Zodiac, merciless punishing, uptempo and brutal as hell.

When Prismaze kicks in, you really get that feeling of being lost in a maze, confused, shimmmering lights from the prisms, mirrors, chaos, heart pounding while descending further and further into yourself. The cyclical riffs and a slow, tune dropping, synth effect gives a short rest to channel your thoughts, before the calm outerspace sounds of “Core” ramps up. But just as merciless as Fatum, Core whips the listener around.

Wombdemonium is one of the more slow songs on the album, reminding a bit of some early black sabbath, with a heavy as a ton opening riff, that makes it really hard not to bang your head. It’s also the shortest song on the album, somehow serving as an intro to the final galactic implosion Psyrcle. The way the wobbly vocals slowly chants towards the beginning of Psyrcle where these vocals are joined with a simple female choir is pulling the listener slowly to a meditative trance, before unleashing all extremities Ufomammut have in their sleeves. The beauty of the album is revealed specifically in the end of Psyrcle where the female vocals, slowly fade the album with loads of sci-fi effects, wobbly keys, and spacey synths.

Totally exhausted after these 8 massive thumps in the stomach.

After the exhaustion

8 is hands down the best album by Ufomammut, so far. I can’t even imagine how they are gonna surpass this masterpiece. 8 is one uncompromised journey through a chaotic infernal devilish machine, where the listener has no means of escape before it all ends in the abyss. It’s a hypnotic, psychotic, mantra driven beast of an album that is partly frightening, partly narcotic. You simply cannot help yourself from starting the album over once it has ended. A key aspect of 8 is the extremely well-written stoner riffs that are omnipresent throughout the 8 crushing and devasting rituals that are performed to perfection.

Next is just to see them perform 8 live. Which I will be so lucky to attend 16. oktober in copenhagen.